Putting on a show
by busy pushing up daisies
Summary: Just because they weren't pathetic and sappy like the poets from District 12 doesn't make them any less real. Capitol finds a new pairing to root for. AU. Clato.


-Putting on a show-

Just because they weren't pathetic and sappy like the poets from District 12 doesn't make them any less real. Capitol finds a new pairing to root for. AU. Clato.

* * *

They barter over who'll keep watch. The position falls to Glimmer and Clove doesn't trust that bimbo for a minute.

"I'll do it," Clove volunteers for the wellbeing of the group and the other girl gives her a disgustingly sweet smile she's afraid she'll get cavities and says, "Aw, thanks, Clove."

A knife lodges itself into the trunk behind her and Glimmer looks away quickly.

When everything's nice and quiet, with a dainty little knife rolling between her fingers, Clove slips away to Lover Boy. He's shivering, pathetic. A knife is trapped in his hand tightly. At least he has some self-preservation instincts. But not enough. She had asked earlier why they even kept him around.

"He's handy with that knife," Cato had answered, the miserable brute. She's sure he's all brawn and no brains now. And with the little girl from District 12 stuck up a tree, they don't need Lover Boy anymore. Half her mind tells her to consult with the group before making any rash decisions but she is really not in the mood to listen to retarded ramblings.

She covers Lover Boy's mouth with her hand, gently so he won't wake up. It's a shame. He is actually some good eye candy. But he's w_eak_ and Clove despises that most of all. He's awake by the time she snatches his knife from him and dead when she slices it quickly across his neck. A quick and silent death. She hasn't had that for some time. She wonders what District 12 will think of this. Cry because her little lover's dead? Or happy that the traitor's dead? No matter.

Clove stashes his knife- how ironic, that he would die by his own weapon- in her pocket and dumps the body behind a tree. Despite all the clambering and rustling no one wakes up. District 12 hasn't noticed. Clove can't really tell if she's asleep or not, sleeping on that tree, taunting them with their incompetence to retrieve and execute her.

_The girl on fire._

Clove has a wicked idea.

They wake up when she sets the tree on fire – it's oak, excellent-.

Cato yells, "What's going on?" Idiot. What does he thinks going on? She's putting on a very entertaining show.

He turns to her hesitantly- she's just watching it burn with a sick smile-. "Clove?"

She just laughs.

District 12 scrambles to get away. Her only option is coming down to greet them, which she obviously doesn't, or scuttling up higher and higher, which is pointless the tree will fall eventually. Or she can jump to another tree like a bushy ugly squirrel, Clove thinks flippantly. Which despite District 12's _greatness _is a phenomenal impossible feat, even for her.

District 12 decides to stay in the tree, like a coward, and watch her life burn away.

_The girl on fire._

The group cheers and Clove smiles.

She was born to win.

…

Marvel dies first as the Game nears an end and she has no problem with that. He was always a little prick and Cato chuckles and tells her she thinks everyone's an asshole. Glimmer glowers at Clove and Glimmer's hold on Cato's arm loosens ever so slightly.

Glimmer's first contribution to the group is a 12 year old girl. It's kind of pathetic that her only kill was some kid but she's weak what can you expect? She's only there because Cato allows it- and essentially, Clove does too- but when she dies, no one mourns in the arena.

Glimmer died in the battle with another tribute, he put up a good fight she'll give him that. But eventually he succumbs to a knife in the back and Clove is so overcome with glee that when she sees Cato's smiling face she comes closer.

When their lips press against each other Cato seems shocked but he succumbs to her too and kisses back. This is not love, Clove thinks when she leans back and Cato grins at her, how does she know? He has someone waiting at home. This is only chemical reaction and with excitement racing in her veins she goes in for another kiss.

She doesn't mention he's her first kiss.

…

She notices something wrong with the supplies first. It's not much but little bits and pieces are missing. Clove wouldn't have noticed it before but those cherries were her favorite, damn it. When Cato comes back from his little scouting mission she interrogates him about his little errand.

"I thought you said you were allergic to cherries," she says. Cato raises an eyebrow at her and replies, "What of it?"

"Would you like to explain this?" Clove retorts and points a knife at the bag of cherries that was one less than they should've been. Cato's brows furrow and she gets it as soon as the lights in his eyes spark.

It takes some chasing and hide and seek skills but they got another kill that day.

…

"-will allow two winners this year, if they come from the same district." The voice buzzes out and Cato's smirking at her.

A parachute sails down from the sky as they kiss.

…

Thresh is a worthy adversary but Cato is stronger. When they send the broad shouldered tribute over the Cornucopia to the hungry mutts below, she allows another kiss. They're both bloody and a hot mess but she can feel victory drawing near and she ignores the painful moans from beneath them.

…

"only allows one winner. Good luck!"

She throws the knife first, Clove doesn't know what that signifies in their relationship, but she throws first. She targets the throat, the body armor doesn't reach that far. She knows.

_He slipped into the armor smoothly and smirked at his audience. _

"_Like what you see?" _

_A smirk graced her lips, "Don't flatter yourself." _

_Clove is many things, but weak is not one of them. She had already anticipated this outcome._

Cato deflects it easily and jumps to the side as another blade whips by. He's limping, Thresh was strong.

She doesn't know how long they fight, when she runs out of knives she dives to the ground for another one. But finally Cato falls to a knife in the back.

Clove forces herself to drag herself across the ground, blood pooling behind her, and turns Cato on his back. He's coughing out blood, and everything's _redredred_ and she pretends the wetness in her eyes is red too.

_Clove is not weak._

Already, she can feel his life slipping away so she leans down so her breath aligns with his ear.

"Let's put on one last show, shall we?" she says, and if her voice is just a little bit shaky it's because the wound on her temple is getting to her.

Cato lets out a throaty chuckle and she commits the sight to memory. She slams her lips on his, gentle is just another word for weak, and his blood flows in her mouth. No vomiting, she thinks to herself, because this is Cato's last kiss (he's bloody lucky it's Clove) and swallows.

When he grows limp against her she swallows again.

It tastes like Cato and shitshitshit what did she do?

His blood flows through her veins now, so in a sense he won too, right?

As the claw closes around her she dreams of a boy- a strong boy-, and a girl waiting at home. The girl's bawling her eyes out and screaming curses to the sky. Clove laughs at the weak girl, and ignores how her eyes sting.

…

A rugged man watches the blurry screen in front of him and downs the alcoholic bottle in one gulp. He wants nothing more than the District 2 witch to go rot in hole- he thinks of a bakery boy and a burning girl- but he sees some potential rebellion in that kiss.

Haymitch still needs a Mockingjay.

…

When they play the Games out in front of her and there's cheers ringing behind her ears Clove does nothing but watch. They play the last scene to her, a romantic kiss from this point of view, but that kiss was not love. She doesn't correct the movie.

"So, Clove," the blue man says, "what was going through your head when you kissed him?"

She does the most stupid thing ever.

"I hate playing for the Capitol."

…

Clove's at home when she hears it.

She's at home alone, she never goes out anymore. Her family don't mind, they bustle about and ignore the stone faced girl on the couch, who's always drinking something. – She's always trying to get that dull ache out of her throat, it never goes away, but the drink offers temporary ignorance from that special taste at the tip of her tongue, _Cato-._

One day someone said (she doesn't remember who, mother, brother, whatever) "You've been gaining weight, Clove."

Clove frowns because it's true. She only gets up for a little jog around the mostly half full neighborhood every other day and stays on the couch the rest. She's not stupid, she knows what happens in the Capitol for victors. But no one asks for her. She doesn't care.

She's at home when they announce it. The Quarter Quell. Drawn from existing victors.

The glass shatters in her hand.

…

She has a new stylist this year. His name is Cinna, she knows she's heard his name somewhere before but she doesn't care enough to ask or remember.

He gives her a sad smile with hard eyes and says, "I have this outfit just for you."

She complies without protest and at the end of the session Cinna stares at her for a long time.

"Did you know that District 2 used to mine?" he asks.

Clove gives a little shrug and answers, "In school. Not that it matters."

He smiles and presses a button.

…

She ignores the other tributes and sits alone. She doesn't need old hags and ugly men to hinder her chances in the game. (Not that she's winning.)

A tray clanks onto the table and she slants a look to her visitor. It's that handsome boy from District 4 and he gives her a dazzling smile.

"You look like you need company."

Clove scoffs but doesn't tell him to go away. His hair reminds her of someone.

…

Clove can't swim. It can't be that hard though, right? If anyone can breed a new skill out of necessity it's her.

She can't. Which is ridiculous because Clove is _not weak. _She still coughs out a thanks to District 4 when he saves her though.

She's formed an alliance with the most unlikely and pathetic people in the world but they're a team and she still owes Finnick- she doesn't remember when it transferred from District 4 to Finnick but it has- so she keeps her mouth shut as a trio in red join the group.

She gets along with Johanna anyways.

…

She chases after the scream and cuts down any barring leaves in the way harshly. Someone's yelling at her to stop.

It stops at a big dangling branch and she's found the source of the problem. It's a small defenseless little bird and it shuts up when a knife enters its throat.

Someone else screams, someone unfamiliar. Finnick's circling around the tree like a dumbass and Clove wonders vaguely if that's what she looked like.

"Calm down," she orders, "it's just the jabberjay."

"You don't understand," he says hysterically, "where do you think they got that voice from? It already happened."

Clove narrows her eyes. _Mother._

She shrugs.

The oncoming parade of screams makes her want to rip her ears out. It's annoying. Some small part of her is scared too but she squashes it down and shoves the scream back down her throat. Finnick's cradles in a fetal position near her feet.

_Cato screams._

Clove snaps her jaw shut and she's not w_eakweakweak._

The birds taste good.

…

They've stolen her family. She doesn't know why, what else has she expressed for the Capitol except for undying loyalty like a puppy? One little comment will place her on the other side, apparently. Her family is strong and weak as well. They've never been tortured.

Clove closes her eyes and allows a small breakdown.

Lick your wounds today, recover, and tomorrow you will stand back up, do you hear me Clove?

_Father._

…

When they tell her they need her to be the Mockingjay she's furious. And a mockingjay of all things. She tosses her head in scorn. A rebel from District 2? Unheard of. They pick her up and expect her to thank them graciously? It would've been better to die.

She traces the cracks in the ceiling with her eyes and thinks of the Capitol.

"Alright," she smiles, all sharp teeth and malevolent despair, "on one condition, I kill Snow."

Coin returns her smile and says, "Of course."

…

Later, she remembers to demand for immunity for her family- her brother is weak and succumbs to torture easily, he'll say things he doesn't mean- and for that Annie girl that Finnick whines about. She's gotten tired of his angst.

...

Clove meets an interesting character in District 13 a few weeks in. He's handsome and strong, with vaguely familiar eyes. They pass in the hallway and she happens to catch his eye.

She stops in the middle of the hallway and studies him. In exchange, he glares at her.

"Have we met?" she asks pleasantly and behind her back she traces the sharp side of the knife.

"District 12," he all but snarls at her, and ah she knows the hostility now. Not that she's unfamiliar with that. She remembers a girl that's stopped waiting at home that shoots icy daggers whenever Clove's near, it's not misdirected and Clove's too important to care about weak pretty civilians.

"Ah," she replies, "brother?"

He doesn't answer and strides past her with long wide steps. She wonders if he's chanting inside his head _dontkillherdontkillher._ Probably.

…

They get Annie and her family back. Finnick thanks her profusely to which she just waves off, it didn't really matter to her.

Her family greet her with open arms and tears in their eyes. Her father stands aside and gives her a hard look.

….

And slowly Panem falls in love with a girl that has no winning attributes, but she's fighting for them and that's all that matters.

…

Her little brother dies in a bombing. She doesn't know if it's from the Capitol or her side but she doesn't cry.

They were never close but he's family and that counts for something.

Standing before Snow with a wicked blade dancing between her fingers she juggles with two decisions.

Snow or Coin. With Snow's heavy words ringing in her head she comes to a decision.

Hey, she has more than one knife and excellent accuracy.

…

When they tell her to vote on another Hunger Games for Capitol children she's all for it.

Not like anyone would watch, anyways. Capitol children are boring.

…

She dies young at the ripe age of 19. She was cliff diving- this was her term of learning how to swim- alone.

As the blue rushes into her lungs filling every crevice and it's _coldcoldcold._ Through the murky water she sees some yellow and she can taste it again.

_Cato._

Clove's not weak and drowning is a good way to die.

It's not so hard to breathe anymore because there's no need for breathing.

She's done with shows and games; it's time to close the curtains.

* * *

**A/N: **I don't think this story actually centers around romance despite what the genre and summary might give off. Sorry if anyone's disappointed. Anyways, review if you like or review if you don't! I'd really appreciate it.


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